Lottery online is a popular option for players in states where it’s legal to do so. The option allows players to enter state-level drawings from home or even major multi-state draws like Powerball and Mega Millions, all without paying the same handling fees typically found in brick-and-mortar stores. However, it’s important to note that most lottery websites don’t actually purchase tickets for you. Instead, they’ll usually have someone go into a store and buy a ticket on your behalf, which you then receive a scan of via email or text message.

While some state lotteries do offer official games on their websites, many more rely on private businesses to operate their online lottery sites. These companies act as middlemen to the actual lotteries, purchasing entries into the national and international games on your behalf. Then, they’ll manage the drawing and award the prizes to winners. If you’re looking to play lottery online, it’s essential to do your research to find a site that’s safe and regulated by the proper gambling authorities.

When playing lottery online, you want to choose numbers that cover a large range of possibilities. Avoid selecting a sequence of numbers that end with the same digit, or else you’ll be wasting money on tickets with no chance of winning. It’s also a good idea to check out the hot and cold numbers for previous lottery draws. You can find this information on the websites of the lotteries, or on dedicated websites that generate these statistics for different lottery games.